Portland, OR, where I live, now has two distillery pubs. Bill Owens, of the American Distilling Institute (www.distilling.com), estimates that distillery restaurants are fairly rare in the world. Out of about 66 US distilleries, only seven seem to be distillery pubs (DE, ID-2, MI, MA and OR-2; see sidebar). There is also at least one... View Article

The Food Network got energetic in January. A TV special, “Top Five Food Fads,” carried off the idea that beer is up to something entirely new. Gimme a break! Fad, according to my dictionary, is “a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal—Craze.” I suppose I shouldn’t complain; they actually did a... View Article

The late great US vice president Hubert Humphrey had a few words of advice for all of us, no matter our age or occupation, but his advice is especially useful for beer tourists and beer enthusiasts. At a political convention, when he was asked what advice he had for young beginning politicians, he answered, “Take... View Article

Periodically, my daily newspaper, the Oregonian, presents another babblement on the drinking problems of our young people, often followed by a vicious editorial. It seems these troublesome youths drink alcoholic beverages, especially beer, with entirely too much gusto. These young hooligans carry on from a right early age, some as young as 12. And it’s... View Article

Recently, I was invited to participate in one of those wonderful McMenamin’s “drink tanks.” Once or twice a year, Mike and Brian McMenamin gather their friends, workers, and other assorted followers together to participate in ceremonial rites to formulate one of their very special brews. This one, held at the Portland’s Hillsdale Pub, was for... View Article

Past Great Canadian Beer Festivals, in Victoria, British Columbia, have been a beer tourist’s Mecca. I lived most of my misspent youth some 90 miles from Vancouver and Victoria. Canadian beer was an always sought-after treasure, and Canada, an exotic destination mere miles from home. Did all Mounties sing like Nelson Eddie? Was the city... View Article